1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to eating utensils for the arthritic, neuromuscular impaired, individuals with loss of fingers as well as the general public.
2. Background of the Invention
For many years devices have been constructed for the manually handicapped to facilitate their feeding themselves. Such devices which employ unusual handles and ways to attach these devices to the hand of the impaired person are often great sources of embarrassment and lack the dignity associated with the normal dining experience using ordinary flatware. Though the arthritic, neuromuscular impaired, and other manually impaired have limitations which require special consideration, it is an aim of this invention to address these specific requirements while maintaining the general characteristics (simplicity and homogeneous construction) associated with the normal eating utensil for the un-impaired.
The present invention allows for the use of the eating utensil with a minimal clasping motion. The location of the tip of the index finger to the forward most part of the handle of the eating utensil, such as a knife or fork, provides the user with complete control. The utensil may be grasped by individuals possessing any one of the five fingers. Also, the configuration of the handle, which may or may not be flared and grooved, provides for maximum contact between the eating utensil, the index finger and the middle of the palm beginning at the metacarpal bone of the index finger and ending at the rear of the palm nearest the wrist. This contact between the utensil and index finger and palm allows for maximum arm weight to be applied to the utensil. The utensil can be constructed of lightweight material in as much as it does not depend on the weight of the utensil to apply maximum pressure to the forward most part of the utensil to facilitate the cutting or forking motion.
Insofar as devices have been constructed to address impairments associated with the arthritic, neuromuscular impaired, and manually impaired, the prior art utensils which have been developed with the foregoing objects in view, lack one or more of the aforementioned features and are consequently unsatisfactory. Most importantly they compromise the simplicity of an eating utensil for use by the general public, and remain devices to be employed predominantly if not exclusively by the manually impaired. It is, therefore, an aim of this invention to provide an improved eating utensil which has the aforementioned described features and which constitutes a vast improvement over the prior art devices without losing its general simplicity of form, homogeneous construction, and hence, general market appeal.